This gorgeous city is located on the Bosphorus strait and covers the entire area of the Golden Horn (a natural harbor). Because of its size, Istanbul extends into both Europe and Asia, it is the only metropolis that extends into more than one continent.
Geographically Istanbul is so important as it has a long history which spans the rise and fall of the world's most famous empires and due to its participation in these empires, Istanbul has also undergone various name changes along its lengthy history.
In 512 BC, the city was conquered by the Persian Emperor Darius, until 479 BC, when it was captured by the Spartan King Pausinias. Subsequently, it passed into the hands of the Athenian rule. It was not long before the city became under siege again, this time by Philip of Macedon in 340 BC, but the strong fight put up by the Byzantines allowed them to defeat the Macedonians.
However, not long after, the son of Philip, Alexander the Great, went on to capture the city in 334 BC. Following his death, the city became under the power of the Romans.
Although Istanbul may have been inhabited as early as 3000 BC, it was not a city until the Greek colonists arrived in the area in the 7th century BC. These colonists were led by King Byzas the Megarian, they settled there because of the strategic location along the Bosphorus strait. King Byzas named the city Byzantium after himself.
After being developed by the Greeks, Byzantium became part of the Roman Empire in the 300s. During this time, the Roman emperor Constantine the great undertook a construction project of rebuilding the entire city. His purpose was to make it stand out and give the city monuments similar to those monuments found in Rome. In 330, Constantine declared the city as the capital of the whole Roman Empire and renamed it Constantinople.
3-The Byzantine (Eastern Roman) Empire (395-1204 and 1261-1453 CE) :
Since the time Constantinople was named the capital of the Roman Empire, the city grew and prospered. After the death of Emperor Theodosius the first in 395, however, enormous upheaval occurred in the empire as his sons divided the empire permanently. Following the division, Constantinople became the capital of the Byzantine Empire in the 400s.
Being part of the Byzantine Empire, the city became distinctly Greek as opposed to its former identity in the Roman Empire. As Constantinople was at the center of two continents. it became a center of commerce, culture, diplomacy, and grew considerably. In 532, though, the anti-government Nika Revolt broke out among the city's population and destroyed it.
5-The Ottoman Empire (1453-1922) :
After the revolt Constantinople was rebuilt and many of its most outstanding monuments were constructed, one of which was the Haghia Sophia as the Constantinople became the center of the Greek orthodox Church.
4-The Latin Empire (1204-1261) :
Although Constantinople significantly prospered during the decades following its becoming a part of the Byzantine Empire, the factors leading to its success also made it a target for conquering. Istanbul became under Arab and Bulgarian rule for a short time, although the city always remained the capital of the Byzantine Empire during these periods. It suffered from the crusades and for a time it was controlled by members of the Fourth Crusade after it was desecrated in 1204. Later, Constantinople became the center of the Catholic Latin Empire.
As competition persisted between the Catholic Latin Empire and the Greek Orthodox Byzantine Empire, Constantinople was caught in the middle and began to significantly decay. It went financially bankrupt, the population declined and it became vulnerable to further attacks as the defense posts around the city crumbled.
In 1261, in the midst of turmoil, the Empire of Nicaea recaptured Constantinople and it was returned to the Byzantine Empire. Around the same time, the Ottoman Turks began conquering the cities surrounding Constantinople, effectively cutting it off from many of its neighboring cities.
After it was considerably weakened by constant invasions, it was cut off from its neighbors by the Ottoman Turks, Constantinople was officially conquered by the Ottomans, led by Sultan (title of the ruler) Mehmet the second (Muhammad the second: Arabic) on May 29, 1453 after 53 days of siege.
Constantinople was named as the capital of the Ottoman Empire and its name was changed to Istanbul.
Upon taking control of the city, Sultan Mehmet sought to rejuvenate Istanbul. He created the Grand Bazaar (one of the largest covered marketplaces in the world), and brought back the fleeing Catholic and Greek Orthodox residents. In addition to these residents, he brought in Muslim, Christian, and Jewish families to establish a mixed populace. Sultan Mehmet also began the building of architectural monuments, schools, hospitals, public baths, and grand imperial mosques.
From 1520 to 1566, Sulaiman the Magnificent controlled the Ottoman Empire and there were many artistic and architectural achievements that made it a major cultural, political, and commercial center. By the mid 1500s, the city's population also grew to almost one million inhabitants. The Ottoman Empire ruled Istanbul until it was defeated and occupied by the allies in World War I.
Following its occupation by the allies in World War I, the Turkish War of Independence took place and Istanbul became a part of the Republic of Turkey in 1923. When the Turkish republic was established in 1923 by Mustafa Kemal Atatürk, Istanbul was not the capital city of the new republic and during the early years of its formation, Istanbul was overlooked and investment went into the new centrally located capital Ankara. In the 1940s and 1950s though, Istanbul re-emerged new public squares, boulevards, and avenues were constructed. Because of the construction though, many of the city's historic buildings were demolished.
In the 1970s, Istanbul's population rapidly increased, causing the city expand into the nearby villages and forests, eventually creating a major world metropolis.
Istanbul's many historical areas were added to the UNESCO World Heritage list in 1985. Moreover, because of its status as a world rising power, its history, importance to culture both in Europe, Middle eastern countries (especially Egypt, Syria, Jordan, Lebanon, and Palestine), and the world, Istanbul has been designated the European Capital of Culture for 2010 by the European Union.
And still the Historic City of Istanbul remains the commercial and tourist center of the country today....
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